Is the OC Test the Same as the Selective Test?
Is the OC test the same as the selective test? No. Both are NSW Department of Education placement tests built by the same developer (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, delivered by Janison) with the same question styles. But the OC test is sat in Year 4 for an Opportunity Class in Years 5–6, while the selective test is sat in Year 6 for a selective high school from Year 7. The selective test is pitched two years older, is longer, and adds a Writing test.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Opportunity Class (OC) | Selective high school |
|---|---|---|
| Entry year | Year 5 (sit in Year 4) | Year 7 (sit in Year 6) |
| What you enter | OC program in Years 5–6 at participating primary schools | Selective high school from Year 7 |
| Sections | Reading (33 Q, 40 min), Mathematical Reasoning (35 Q, 40 min), Thinking Skills (30 Q, 30 min) | Reading (45 min), Mathematical Reasoning (35 Q, 40 min), Thinking Skills (40 Q, 40 min), Writing (1 task, 30 min) |
| Total testing time | 110 minutes | 155 minutes |
| Format | Computer-based | Computer-based |
| School choices | 1 to 4 | 1 to 3 |
| Typical sitting month | May | May |
Sources: NSW DoE placement test and school choices pages. OC question counts are from the Department’s OC practice tests. More on timing: NSW selective and OC test length.
What is the same?
- Both are run by the NSW Department of Education.
- Both are computer-based, at allocated test centres in NSW.
- Both include Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills, with the same question types (for example, sentence-placement reading questions and “whose reasoning is correct” thinking skills questions).
- No calculators.
- Applications and outcomes go through the NSW selective/OC application dashboard.
What is different (and easy to mix up)?
- Writing: selective has a 30-minute writing task; OC does not.
- Difficulty and stamina: OC questions are pitched at Year 4 students, two years younger, so keep sessions shorter (OC prep guide).
- Destination: OC is still primary school; selective is high school.
- School choices: OC allows 1 to 4 choices; selective allows 1 to 3.
What about Victorian selective?
Victoria’s selective entry exam is a different system again. It is set by ACER, sat in Year 8 for Year 9 entry, and has no OC equivalent. See the Melbourne selective schools guide.
Practise with the right papers
Use OC papers for an OC candidate and Year 7 selective papers for a selective candidate. A Year 4 student on selective papers meets content two years ahead and can lose confidence; a Year 6 student on OC papers gets a false sense of readiness. EduSpark keeps the two libraries separate, and each has a no-signup sample: OC sample questions and NSW selective sample questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the OC test the same as the selective test?▾
No. OC is for Year 5 entry (sat in Year 4) with three sections and no writing. NSW selective is for Year 7 entry (sat in Year 6) with four sections including writing.
Do OC and selective share any sections?▾
Yes — both include Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Thinking Skills on computer-based tests — but timings and destinations differ, and selective adds writing.
Is Victorian selective the same as NSW OC?▾
No. Victoria's ACER Year 9 selective entry exam is a separate system from NSW OC and NSW Year 7 selective.
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